Dogs are 'angels' for children with autism

Puppy raiser Pat Carforo works on skills training with J.P., a puppy labrador, for BluePath Service Dogs May 1, 2017 in Bronxville. BluePath provides service dogs for families with an autistic child.
Tania Savayan/lohud

JP, a Labrador retriever puppy, stopped calmly over a storm-grate in the middle of a Bronxville street on a recent afternoon, unfazed by the strange surface that might throw off other dogs. JP will need that cool under pressure when he becomes a service dog for a child with autism.

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Puppy-raiser Pat Carforo works in Bronxville with JP, a puppy Labrador, for BluePath Service Dogs.(Photo: Tania Savayan/The Journal News)

He is one of 10 puppies who may hold the key to the future security and happiness of families with children with autism in Westchester and Rockland counties, and across the region.

Volunteers are raising the puppies — nine Labrador retrievers and one golden retriever — in homes throughout the area. It's an effort by the five-month-old nonprofit BluePath Service Dogs to fill a gap left when Yorktown-based Guiding Eyes for the Blind decided last year it will end a program that provided service dogs in homes of families with autistic children. BluePath expects to start training an additional seven to 10 puppies by year's end.

Once matured, the dogs can prevent autistic children from wandering off, which parents say is the difference between families living life or becoming virtual shut-ins. The dogs can also prevent tragedy: drownings are the leading cause of death for children with autism who wander away.

In her Bronxville home, Pat Carforo, the volunteer raising JP until he's about 1 1/2 years old, fastened a BluePath vest onto him. Carforo walks him frequently and seeks out distractions — sirens wailing, a police officer's radio, gawking school children — to get J.C. to the point where they no longer grab his attention. One result, she said, is he's the dog about town.

"I''ll go for a walk and 'JP! JP! — everybody knows you — you're like a rock star," Carforo said of the 4 1/2-month-old.

BluePath started in December, formed by former members of Guiding Eyes' Heeling Autism service dog program. The founders are Dr. Jody Sandler, president and chief executive, who was with Guiding Eyes for 25 years including as director of veterinary services; Caroline McCabe-Sandler, BluePath’s vice president of training programs; and Michelle Brier, vice-president of marketing and development.

"We believe so strongly in the transformative role that these dogs have on families," Brier said. "We’ve seen families be able to travel independently outside of their homes; we've seen children smile for the first time."

BluePath’s leadership is mostly from Westchester County, while its offices are in Hopewell Junction. A BluePath service dog costs about $13,000, but BluePath will assist families in fundraising efforts, Brier said.

BluePath's mission for the moment is to raise and train the puppies and to raise money. On May 20, BluePath will hold its first annual walk-a-thon fundraiser at FDR State Park in Yorktown. BluePath says the need continues to grow, saying autism is the nation’s fastest growing developmental disability.

The nonprofit draws its name from the blue vests that autism service dogs tend to wear, Brier said. She said the reason BluePath picked Labrador and golden retrievers is they tend to be highly trainable, motivated and adaptable.

"They have the temperament we look for," she said.

A volunteer takes in a puppy that's perhaps 8 weeks old.

"During that time, they (teach) the dog how to have good behavior in the house; they teach obedience skills — some are more related to the type of work that they'll do later on," Brier said.

After the dogs turn 16 to 18 months old, the volunteers turn them over to BluePath's training staff.

"It's at that point that the dog learns the very, very special skills that he or she will need to know in order to work for child," Brier said.

BluePath does not at this point have a kennel facility, but the training is largely about taking the dogs out into the world until they master the skills needed for the role with a family.

An important one is "anchoring," where a service dog can keep a child from wandering or bolting. A dog usually wears a leash for a parent to hold and a tether for a child to hold. Brier said different dogs anchor differently. One may lock all four feet, while another dog may lie down and still another may sit.

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Michelle Brier, vice president of marketing and development for BluePath Service Dogs.(Photo: Tania Savayan/The Journal News)

A parent might naturally express panic toward a child, which can increase the anxiety in a situation.

But a service dog's anchoring position is "such an emotionless response" that calms things down, Brier said.

Children with autism are also severely bothered by sensory issues — a loud noise or a texture, for instance.

"One of the things that the dogs often do is just gently rest their head on a child's leg or against the child's side — and that can so greatly reduce anxiety," Brier said. "It's a pretty amazing benefit of the dog."

Because many of the dogs will accompany the children at schools, BluePath will help get the dogs acquainted with a given school and teach faculty what they need to know.

BluePath has an agreement with North Carolina-based Project 2 Heal, which bred and provided Labrador retrievers. Another partner is Florida-based Southeastern Guide Dogs, which provided the golden retriever.

In Bronxville, JP's puppy feet made calm work of some of the village's storybook downtown. Brier said he's ahead of the curve for his age.

Carforo, who retired as an Ossining special-education teacher, said one of her students had a service dog. Over the years, the trainer would come into the classroom with a dog or dogs to show students. She decided she wanted to raise service dogs.

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Puppy-raiser Pat Carforo works in Bronxville with JP, a puppy Labrador, for BluePath Service Dogs.(Photo: Tania Savayan/The Journal News)

How to apply

Who is eligible? There are several requirements, including that a child must be 3 to 11 years old, have an autism diagnosis and live within a two-hour drive of BluePath’s offices in Hopewell Junction.

How much does a dog cost? A BluePath service dog costs $13,000. After an applicant is accepted, $3,000 is due, while the rest is payable within the following year, according to BluePath's website. The cost covers some of the puppy-raising program’s expenses, plus the six months the dogs receive training from a professional instructor. It also includes lifelong in-home follow-up visits with families and dogs.